NEWS 120 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE November 2025 Hendrix Genetics received Technical Recognition from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in the category of Sustainable Livestock Transformation. The award was presented during the FAO’s 80th anniversary celebrations and the World Food Forum in Rome, held October 10-17, 2025. The company states that the recognition highlights Hendrix Genetics’ project “Driving genetics innovation in support of the most in need: Developing resilient dual-purpose chicken breeds for rural and low-input systems in Africa”. This initiative is part of the Securing Affordability of Poultry Parent Stocks in Africa (SAPPSA) program, co-funded by Hendrix Genetics and the Gates Foundation. Since its launch in 2018, SAPPSA has enabled 31 million smallholder farmers to access resilient poultry genetics, including nearly eight million in 2025 alone. “Receiving this recognition from the FAO is a profound moment for us,” said Richard Maatman, CEO of Hendrix Genetics. “It validates our belief that social entrepreneurship – alongside animal welfare and climate resilience – is not just a pillar of our sustainability strategy, but a force for real-world impact.” A key component of SAPPSA is the Recurrent Testing initiative in Burkina Faso, which evaluates poultry performance under tropical conditions. These tests are conducted in partnership with the avian selection center Coq du Faso and aim to ensure locally adapted and economically viable breeds for smallholder farmers. Read more>> In a scientific trial, researchers at Nofima studied how early-life temperatures affect the health and development of Atlantic salmon. When transferred to seawater, salmon reared at 14°C surprised the team by continuing to grow faster than fish from cooler groups. The aim was to investigate how temperature affects the health and development of salmon throughout their lifecycle. Temperature is a master regulator in fish biology, shaping their behaviour, physiology, health, welfare, and growth. Before salmon undergo smoltification — the physiological adaptation for life in seawater — temperature is a highly effective tool for managing growth rates. In recent years, concerns have grown that the temperatures used during rearing may be too high. Possible adverse outcomes include poor heart health, and it has also been claimed that fast-growing parr (juvenile salmon) may not thrive after transfer to seawater. The Norwegian aquaculture industry demanded answers, so the scientists conducted a study to address these points. “There was a lack of long-term experiments assessing the effects of temperature from smolt to harvest. We needed this to determine whether high temperatures early in life would impact salmon growth and health later on,” says Anja Striberny, a scientist at Nofima – the Norwegian Institute of Food, Fisheries and Aquaculture Research. Read more>> Salmon smolts surprise scientists Hendrix Genetics earns FAO recognition for sustainability Photo: Nofima Photo: Hendrix Genetics
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